1. Field
This invention relates generally to fabrication processes for interferometric modulator arrays and more specifically to methods for manufacturing an array of interferometric modulators.
2. Description of the Related Art
An interferometric modulator is a class of MEM (micro-electromechanical) systems devices which have been described and documented in a variety of patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,835,255, 5,986,796, 6,040,937, 6,055,090, 6,574,033 (application Ser. No. 10/084,893), 6,680,792 (application Ser. No. 09/974,544), 6,867,896 (application Ser. No. 09/966,843), and 7,067,846 (application Ser. No. 10/878,282), and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0072070 (application Ser. No. 10/082,397), herein incorporated by reference. One of the key attributes of these devices is the fact that they are fabricated monolithically using semiconductor-like fabrication processes. Specifically, these devices are manufactured in a sequence of steps which combine film deposition, photolithography, and etching using a variety of techniques. Costs in manufacturing processes of this sort are driven in large part by the number of steps in the sequence. Thus, a reduction in the number of masking steps in the overall manufacturing process will help to reduce manufacturing costs.